Corn and Goat Cheese Queso
Double Ds…And, I just doubled my male readership…
I’m going to make it clear from the onset, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DOUBLE DIPPERS. Whoa, I know, “Relax!” right? No, sorry. Just can’t. When faced with a Double D, I try the gentle prod, “Ooooh, no double dipping.” Can you hear my wide grin? Shocking that while I say this in a high-pitched, sing-song voice, I’m not always speaking to a child. Or the “joking” admonishment, “We don’t do that here.” Smiling even wider.
Sadly, the dip I am about to fawn over is one that begs for double dipping. The friend who introduced the recipe was one of 16 women that I was fortunate to stumble upon when my oldest child was just 3 months old. We were part of a playgroup where the babies did nothing more than sit in their car seats–a national, or likely international, shared irony. The women in this group were the ones that I navigated babydom with–nursing, caring, sleeping became feeding, playing, schooling which morphed into true friendships with people who knew me at my most vulnerable and my most joyful. Fortunately, I still call the great majority of these women my close friends but those lazy days of sitting and talking seem like a lifetime ago.
Anyway, it was way back when at a going away party for one of our playgroup friends, that Marah revealed this Corn and Goat Cheese Queso of unknown origin. So for me, it will always be known as “Marah’s Dip” or “The Dip Recipe That Has Received More Requests Than Every Other Dip Combined.”
This dip is the perfect combination of sweet corn, mild heat (or not so mild, depending on your preference), tangy goat cheese and creamy goodness. Pure decadence in every bite. I encourage you to make Corn and Goat Cheese Queso for Sunday’s football games (or even tonight’s if you have that kind of Monday) but be warned that you won’t be able to wait until the following week to make it again. It is absolutely addictive and you will likely lick the bowl clean. Just please, no double dipping.
Corn and Goat Cheese Queso
- 2 Tbls unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (from 2 ears) or frozen works fine
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1 Tbls chopped garlic
- 1 medium-size fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped (for more heat, include some or all of the seeds)
- 1/2 lb goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- In a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the corn, salt and cayenne and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno, stir to mix, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cheese and cream and stir until the cheese is completely melted. Keep warm or reheat to serve. Can be served with sturdy tortilla chips or pita chips.